Method and apparatus for loading pallets



p 4, 1967 F. N. STEPHENS ETAL METHOD 'AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING PALLETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1965 yww W/a J01 oevzfo z;

April 4, 3967 F. N. STEPHENS ETAL I 3,312,357

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING PALLETS Filed March 2. 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 4, 1967. F. N. STEPHENS ETAL 3,312,357

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING PALLETS Filed March 2, 1965 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,312,357 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LQADING PALLETS Frederick N. Stephens, Leawood, and Kenneth D. May, ()verland Park, Kane, assignors to Honeggers 8; Co., Inc., Fairhury, iii, a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 436,448 12 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for loading pallets with a plurality of tiers, each containing a plurality of articles such as paper bags containing loose material such as livestock feed. The present invention relates more particularly to a method and apparatus for automatically loading pallets with a predetermined number of tiers of said articles, one article at a time, with each article in a tier being in staggered, lapping relation to the corresponding article in an adjacent tier.

Pallets are conventionally square or four-sided; and the apparatus includes a dispenser located at an elevated position and means for supporting a pallet in a location directly beneath the dispenser. Articles to be loaded on the pallet are introduced into the dispenser, one article at a time, and carried in a downstream direction along a path extending from a front entrance to the back end of the dispenser. The dispenser includes means defining a first article-receiving location having a downstream end located upstream of the dispensers back end; and each of a first group of four articles is stopped at and received in this first location, from which the articles are dropped, one at a time, in a horizontal disposition, directly downwardly for positioning on the periphery of the pallet.

The pallet is rotated 90 or one-quarter turn immediately after an article is dropped thereon, so that each article in the first group of four articles is dropped along a different side of the four-sided pallet; and each group of four articles forms a tier on the pallet. After the first tier is dropped onto the pallet, the pallet is lowered a distance equal to the depth or vertical dimension of the tier; and the pallet is ready to be loaded with a second tier or second group of four articles.

Each article in the second group of articles is carried beyond the downstream end of the first article-receiving location in the dispenser and is received, one article at a time, at a second article-receiving location which is in aligned, lapping relation with the first article-receiving location. Each of the second group of articles is dropped in a horizontal disposition, directly downwardly from the second article-receiving location onto the underlying pallet. The second group of articles forms a second tier on the pallet, with each article in the second tier being in aligned, lapping relation to the corresponding, underlying article in the first tier.

The cycle of operations described above is continued with odd numbered groups of four articles being received and dispensed, one article at a time, from the first articlereceiving location in the dispenser and even numbered groups of four articles being received and dispensed, one article at a time, from the second article-receiving location in the dispenser. In this manner, the dispenser loads a plurality of tiers of articles on the pallet with each article in a respective tier being in lapping, staggered relation to the corresponding article in an adjacent tier.

After a predetermined number of tiers are stacked on the pallet, the pallet is removed frombeneath the dispenser and another pallet is situated in an article-loading position; and the entire procedure is then repeated.

Other features and advantages are inherent in the structure and method as claimed and disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE'l is a diagrammatic plan view of an embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention for performing an embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic end view of a dispenser in the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged back end view of an embodiment of a dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the doors of the dispenser in a closed position;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the dispenser of FIGURE 4 with the doors of the dispenser in an open, articleedispensing position;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view, with some of the parts removed, and some of the parts cut away, illustrating a portion of the dispenser;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom of the dispenser;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the dispenser;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view, with some of the parts removed, and some of the parts cut away, illustrating a portion of adispenser-mounting frame and parts associated therewith;

FIGURE 10 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of turntable-rotating mechanism used with the apparatus of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 11 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the electrical circuitry of the apparatus.

Referring initially to FIGURES l and 2, there is illustrated generally, by the numeral 20, a dispenser into which articles 15 are introduced, one at a time, by a pair of conveyors 16, 17, having a manner of operation which will be described subsequently in detail, and powered by motors 18, 19, respectively. Article 15 is typically a multi-walled paper bag containing loose material such as livestock feed.

Dispenser 20 has a front entrance 14, a back end 13 and a pair of movable doors 27, 28 at the bottom thereof (FIG. 3). Located in the dispenser just above the bottom thereof, are a pair of conveyors 21, 22, each powered by a respective motor 23, 24 and cooperating to carry an article 15, in a horizontal disposition, along a path CX- tending from the front entrance 14 to the back end 13 of dispenser 20. Extending into this path, between dispenser front entrance 14 and back end 13, is a member 25, the front or upstream end of which mounts a switch 26 (FIG. 2) engageable by a moving article 15 carried by conveyors 21, 22. Member 25 is mounted for pivotal movement, about an axis 12 (FIG. 2) between the extended, lowered position shown in FIGURE 2 and a raised, retracted position in which neither member 25 nor switch 26 extends into the path of a moving article 15 advancing through the dispenser.

As previously indicated, dispenser Ztl includes a pair of bottom doors 27, 28; and each of these doors is mounted for pivotal movement about a respective axis 110, 111 (FIG. 3) each extending in the direction of the path in the dispenser along a respective opposite side of the path. Each door 27, 28 supports a respective dispenser conveyor 21, 22 and each door is moved between a closed position and an open, dispensing position by a respective pneumatic piston 29, 30.

Located directly below the center line of dispenser 20 is the peripheral portion of a four-sided pallet 32 supported atop a turntable 33 mounted on a turntable-rotating mechanism 34 supported by a platform 35 at the 3 top of a vertical shaft 36 extending upwardly from a vertically disposed hydraulic cylinder 37 located in a floor pit or recess 39 containing a pump 38 connected to cylinder 37 by a line 41 for introducing fluid into the bottom of cylinder 37 for elevating turntable 33 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2.

When article or bag 15 hits switch 26 on dispenser member 25, a conventional electrical circuit is energized to engage a conventional electromagnetic brake and release a conventional electromagnetic clutch on each of dispenser conveyor motors 23, 24; and this stops dispenser conveyors 21, 22 with bag 15 in a first bag-receiving location having a downstream end defined by member 25.

The engagement of switch 26 also energizes a conventional electrical circuit, including a solenoid valve, to operate dispenser door pistons 29, 30 in a manner which opens dispenser doors 27, 23. When this occurs, bag 15 drops vertically downwardly, directly onto the peripheral portion of pallet 32 underlying the dispenser.

In addition to opening the dispenser doors, engagement of switch 26 energizes a further conventional elec trical circuit, including a solenoid valve, to operate another piston 46 to lower a gate 45 located immediately upstream of dispenser front entrance 14. The lowering of gate 45 blocks articles 15 on conveyors 16, 17 from moving through entrance 14 into dispenser 20, while doors 27, 28 of the dispenser are open.

Engagement of switch 26 also actuates a conventional timer which acts as a time delay for energizing a conventional electrical circuit for actuating turntable-rotating mechanism 34.

Referring to FIGURE 10, turntable-rotating mechanism 34 includes a motor 50 having a normally engaged brake 51, and driving a normally disengaged clutch 52 drivingly engaged to a gear system 53 connected to turntable 33. At the end of the time delay, conventional electromagnets (not shown) are actuated to disengage brake 51 and engage clutch 52; and this drivingly connects motor 50 to gear system 53. Turntable 33 is drivingly connected to the top portion of gear system 53 which is constructed to rotate turntable 33 one-quarter turn (90) for every full turn (360) of a bottom portion 54 of gear system 53. Gear system 53 may be of conventional construction, e.g., a Geneva mechanism.

Turntable 33 and pallet 32 rotate 90, or a quarter turn, after a bag has dropped upon the periphery of pallet 32, rather than during the bag drop, because of the time delay between the opening of the dispenser doors 27, 28 and the engagement of clutch 52 in turntable-rotating mechanism 34.

When the lower portion 54 of gear mechanism 53 rotates a full turn, it engages a switch 55 (FIG. which de-energizes the electromagnets operating clutch 52 and brake 51, the result being a disengagement of clutch 52 and a re-engagement of brake 51, thus stopping the rotation of turntable 33.

Switch 55 is also electrically connected to a pair of conventional counters 17.0, 171 (FIG. 11) to be described subsequently.

Switch 55 is additionally electrically connected to the solenoid valve which actuates the pistons 29, 30 which operate dispenser doors 27, 28, and engagement of switch 55 operates pistons 29, 30 to close dispenser doors 27, 28.

When dispenser doors 27, 28 close, one of them actuates a switch 57 (FIG. 3) which is electrically connected by conventional circuitry to the solenoid valve which controls piston 46 on gate 45, and to the electromagnets which control the brakes and clutches on dispenser con veyor motors 23, 24. As a result, engagement of switch 57 actuates piston 46 to raise gate 45 and disengages the brakes and re-engages the clutches on dispenser conveyor motors 23, 24, thus causing dispenser conveyors 21, 22 to resume operation.

While gate 45 had been in a lowered position, blocking entry of additional bags into dispenser a bag 15 had been advanced by conveyor 16 into a position above conveyor 17 and in which the downstream end of the bag engages a switch 58 on the upstream side of gate 45.

Switch 58 is an override in the circuit which operates gate piston 46, so that unless switch 58 has been engaged by a bag 15, piston 46 will not operate to raise gate 45. In addition, this override contains a conventional time delay which must first elapse before piston 46 is actuated to raise gate 45.

When switch 57 is engaged by one of the closing dispenser doors, it causes energization of a conventional electrical circuit, including a solenoid valve, which operates a piston 61) connected to conveyor 17 from below at the downstream end of the conveyor. Conveyor 17 is a relatively high speed conveyor, compared to the speed at which conveyor 16 operates; and conveyor 17 is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis 59 at the upstream end of the conveyor. Conveyor 17 has a pair of tracks 61, 62, each of which is located on a respective opposite side of the single track of conveyor 16. In other words, conveyor 17 straddles conveyor 16. A

When piston 61 is actuated by engagement of dispenser door switch 57, it operates to pivot conveyor 17 in a counterclockwise sense about its pivotal axis 59 (as viewed in FIGURE 2) and, thus, raises conveyor 17 into engagement with a bag 15 thereabove. This lifts the bag up off of conveyor 16. At the same time, gate 45 has been raised by piston 46, so that high speed conveyor 17 shoots bag 15 through dispenser entrance 14 onto the dispenser conveyors 21, 22 which carry the bag in a downstream direction along the path extending from entrance 14 to back end 13 of dispenser 20.

As bag 15 is carried by high speed conveyor 17, the top surface of the bag 15 maintains engagement with gate switch 58 until the upstream end of bag 15 has cleared gate 45, at which time switch 58 is disengaged, thereby opening the circuit which actuates piston 46, causing the latter to be operated in a manner which lowers gate 45.

The same solenoid valve which controls the operation of piston 46 also controls the operation of another piston 63 which raises and lowers a clamp 64 located upstream of bag gate 45. Clamp 64 acts as a gate to prevent a trailing bag 15 from following too closely to the leading bag 15 engaged by high speed conveyor 17. More specifically, when piston 46 is operated to raise gate 45, pis ton 63 is operated to lower clamp 64. As a result, if a trailing bag 15 is too close behind the leading bag, the trailing bag is engaged by clamp 64 and held in place until the clamp is raised. Clamp 64 is raised when gate 45 is lowered.

When gate switch 58 is no longer engaged by a bag 15, this opens the circuit which operates piston 60, and causes piston 60 to lower conveyor 17 from its bag-engaging position, by pivoting conveyor 17 in a clockwise sense about its axis 59, as viewed in FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 11, each engagement of switch 55 on the turntable-rotating mechanism actuates a pair of counters, one of which, 170, may be in the form of a rotary switch having eight positions, for example. Each time switch 55 is engaged, rotary switch is actuated to move one position, e.g., by a rotary solenoid 172 which is constructed to rotate one-eighth of a revolution each time it is energized. When the rotary switch 170 has moved to the fourth position, it energizes a conventional electrical circuit (not shown in FIG. 11) to open a solenoid valve 47 (FIG. 2) on a line 70 connected to the bottom of hydraulic cylinder 37 to bleed fluid out of cylinder 37 through line 70. As a result, gravity causes downward movement of shaft 36, frame 35, turntable-rotating mechanism 34, turntable 33 and pallet 32 with its tier of bags 15. This downward movement continues until the top of the tier on pallet 32 drops below the level of a light beam emanating from a light source 72. This light beam, which has previously been blocked by the bags on the pallet, is sensed by photoelectric cell 71 which then de-energizes the circuit controlling the solenoid valve 47 on bleed line 70, thereby closing line 70, stopping the bleeding of fluid from cylinder 37, and stopping the downward movement of pallet 32 and the structure on which it is supported.

When the counter or rotary switch 170 has moved to its fourth position, it also energizes another circuit (not shown in FIG. 11), including a solenoid valve, to operate a piston 75 which is mechanically engaged to member.

25 pivotally mounted on dispenser 20 (FIG. 2). When piston 75 is operated, it pivots member 25 from its lower bag-engaging position, illustrated in FIGURE 2, to an elevated position in which neither member 25 nor switch 26 thereon is in a position to be engaged by a bag moving along a path extending from the front entrance 14 to the back end 13 of dispenser 20.

Accordingly, a bag moving along said path through-dispenser 20 will not be stopped at the first bag-receiving location (whose downstream end is defined by member 25) but will continue along to a second bag-receiving location having a downstream end defined by back end 13 of dispenser 20.

The upstream surface of dispenser back end 13 mounts a switch 73 which is connected to the same circuitry as switch 26 on member 25. Accordingly, when member 25 is in its raised position, a bag 15 arriving at the second bag-receiving location will engage switch 73 on back end 13. The exact same cycle of operations occurs, as a result of switch 73 being engaged, as occurs when switch 26 is engaged, all of which has been previously described.

Member 25 remains in a raised, non-engageable position, for four cycles of operation of the dispenser. When switch 73 on back end 13 has been engaged by four bags, counter 170 will have rotated to the eighth position thereof. When this occurs, the circuit which operates piston 75, is de-energized, whereby the piston 75 is operated to pivot member 25 from its upper, non-engageable position to the lower, bag-engaging position; and the sequence of operations previously described, with reference to a situation in which member 25 is in its lower bag-engaging position, occurs.

The above-described sequence of operations continues until a predetermined number of tiers are stacked on pallet 32. In the illustrated embodiment, this predetermined numbe is and this may be counted by a rotary switch 171 (FIG. 11) having 10 positions and actuated to rotate one position every time the eight-position counter has rotated to either its fourth or its eighth position. This can be done by energizing a rotary solenoid 173, con structed to rotate one-tenth of a revolution each time it is energized, each time rotary switch 170 moves to its fourth or its eighth position.

When rotary counter 171 rotates to its tenth position, a circuit is energized which opens the solenoid valve on line 70 (FIG. 2) to bleed cylinder 37. This causes shaft 36, frame 35, turntable-rotating mechanism 34, turntable 33 and a fully loaded pallet 32 containing 10 tiers of bags to drop; and this drop continues until the frame 35 engages a switch 74 in pit 39. When this occurs, frame 35, mechanism 34 and turntable 33 have all been lowered into pit 39 and the loaded pallet 32 is resting atop a pallet conveyor 175. If desired, the tenth position of rotary switch 171 may be used to energize a conventional circuit which locks dispenser doors 27, 28 in their closed position, and to open the circuit for mot-or 18 driving conveyor 16 so as to stop the conveyor.

Engagement of switch 74 in pit 39 also energizes a circuit to operate a pump 76 to pump hydraulic fluid through a line 78 into the back end of a horizontally disposed hydraulic cylinder 79, thereby moving a shaft 80 outwardly from cylinder 79, to the right as viewed in FIG- URE 2. Located at the end of shaft 80 is a head 81 which engages one of a plurality of elements 82 depending from pallet conveyor 175 to move the conveyor with loaded pallet 32 to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 2. This moves loaded pallet 32 from a position overlying turn- 6 table 33 (housed in pit 39) and brings an unloaded pallet into the position overlying turntable 33. Conveyor 175 stops moving when the unloaded pallet 32 is in a position overlying lowered turntable 33, and this occurs when head 81 on shaft engages a switch 83.

Engagement of switch 83 manipulates the electrical circuit operating pump 76 so as to reverse pump 76 and cause it to pump hydraulic fluid through a line 84 into the front end of horizontally disposed cylinder 79, thereby causing retraction of shaft 80 and head 81. Elements 82 on conveyor 175 are mounted to pivot in a clockwise sense, as viewed in FIGURE 2, so that retraction of head 81 merely causes the elements to pivot in a clockwise sense, about their respective pivotal axes, and does not cause a reverse movement of conveyor 175.

Engagement of switch 83 by head 81 also energizes the circuit which operates pump 38 causing the latter to pump hydraulic fluid through line 41 into the bottom of vertical cylinder 37 to elevate shaft 36, frame 35, turntable-rotating mechanism 34, turntable 33 and an unloaded pallet 32 resting atop turntable 33. Elevation continues until pallet 32 has reached a position where it breaks the beam of light on photoelectric cell 71, 72, which deenergizes the electric circuit for pump 38 and stops pump 38.

If desired, the breaking of the light beam of photoelectric cell 71, 72 may also be used to de-energize the circuit which has locked dispenser doors 27, 28 and to energize the circuit to motor 18 on conveyor 16.

With conveyor 16 again moving, the whole apparatus operates to repeat the cycle of operation previously described.

A feature of the apparatus is the dispenser 20, and this will now be described in greater detail, with reference to FIGURES 49. Dispenser 20 is suspended from a frame mounted in an elevated position, above turntable 33, by conventional means.

The embodiment of frame illustrated in the drawings includes a pair of side members 100, 101, a pair of end members 102, 103 and a pair of cross-members 104, 105. Attached to each of the end members 102, 103 and to each of the cross-members 104, 105 are a pair of bearing plates 107, 108, each having a bearing 109 for rotatably mounting a respective one of a pair of parallel, horizontal shafts 110, 111, each of said shafts constituting the pivotal axis for a respective dispenser door. Each shaft 110, 111 mounts a respective door front frame member 112, 113, a respective door center frame member 114, 115 and a respective door back frame member 116, 117.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, each door frame member includes a lower portion having a channel-shaped cut-out part 121 for receiving a respective dispenser conveyor 21, 22. Each dispenser conveyor travels around rollers 122 having opposite ends journalled in opposite ends of the channel-shaped cut-out parts 121 on the door frame members.

Referring to FIGURE 7, extending longitudinally from the door front frame member, through the door center frame member, to the door back frame member on each door, are respective door brace rods 123, 124. In the illustrated embodiment, the door means comprises the door frame members 1'12117 and the door brace rods 123, 124, as -well as sheet metal door bottom and side portions 160, 161 respectively.

Each side member 100, 101 of the dispenser-mounting frame has attached thereto an upwardly extending upright 125, 126 (located between cross-members 104, 105); and extending between the upper ends of uprights 125, 126 is a cross piece 127 from which depends a pair of elements 128, 129 each of which pivotally mounts, at 129, 130, an end of a respective piston 29, 30 each having a piston rod 131, 132 with an outer end pivotally connected at 133, 134 to a respective upper portion 135, 136 of door center frame members 1 14, 115 (FIG. 5). The pivotal connections 133, 134 are located above the axes of the shafts 110, 11-1 upon which doors 27, 28 pivot. Accord- 7 ingly, when piston rods 131, 132 are moved to the extended positions shown in FIGURE 4, the doors 27, 28 are closed; and when the pistons are moved to the retracted positions shown in FIGURE 5, doors 27, 28 are opened.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the center of the dispenser is directly above the peripheral portion of a pallet 32 on turntable 33.

Referring to FIGURES 4, and 9, mounted on the underside of cross-members 104i, 195 of the dispensermounting frame are a pair of longitudinally extending members 141), 141; and pivotally mounted between members 141 141 is a shaft 12 about the axis of which member 25 pivots. Pivotally mounted to the upstream-facing surface of member 25, at 144 (FIG. 5), is a rod 145 extending from piston 75 having its upstream end pivotally mounted at 146 to a shaft 147 extending between longitudinal members 141), 141.

Each longitudinally extending member 140, 141 has a back or downstream end portion 148, 149, respectively, each of which has upper and lower longitudinally extending slots 151, 152 (FIG. 8) for receiving a bolt 153 mounting back end member 13 of dispenser 20 for slidable, adjustable movement along the path extending between the front entrance and back end of dispenser 20. When member 13 has been slidably moved to a desired position, nuts mounted on the ends of bolts 153 are tightened to hold member 13 in the desired position.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 6, mounted on each pivotal shaft 110, 111, adjacent the back end member 103 of the dispenser-mounting frame, are a pair of gear segments 155, 156, respectively. Gear segments 155, 156 rotate with shafts 110, 111 and with door frame members 112-117, and the purpose of gear segments 105, 156 is to assure synchronous movement of doors 27, 28. Accordingly, both doors 2'7, 28 open to the same extent at the same speed, thereby assuring that a bag 15, normally received in dispenser 20 in a horizontal disposition, is dropped from dispenser 20 onto pallet 32 in the same horizontal disposition.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clcarness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination:

a dispenser having a front entrance, a back end, and

door means at the bottom of said dispenser;

means for moving an article to be dispensed along a path, inside said dispenser, from the front entrance to the back end of the dispenser and above the bottom of said dispenser;

means mounting said door means for movement between an open dispensing position and a closed position;

means actuable for moving said door means from said closed position to said open position and then back to the closed position;

means, including means at said back end responsive to engagement by an article moving along said path, for actuating said door-moving means;

a member;

means mounting said member for movement between a first position, in which the member extends into said path at a location between said front entrance and said back end, and a second position in which the member is removed from said path;

means, responsive to a predetermined number of engagements between said means at the back end and an article moving along said path, for moving said member from said second to said first position thereof;

means, including means on said member, responsive to engagement by an article moving along said path, for actuating said door-moving'means;

and means, responsive to a predetermined number of engagements between said means on said member and an article moving along said path, for returning said member to its second position.

2. In the combination of claim 1:

means for maintaining an article moving along said path in a horizontal disposition;

and means for dispensing said article through the bottom of said dispenser in a horizontal disposition.

3. In the combination of claim 1 wherein said door means comprises:

two doors;

means mounting each door for pivotal movement, about a respective horizontal axis extending in the direction of said path and located on a respective opposite side of said path, between a closed position in which the two doors extend relatively close together and an open position in which the two doors are relatively far apart;

and means for assuring synchronous movement of said pair of doors.

4. In the combination of claim 3 wherein said means for moving the article along said path comprises a pair of side-by-side conveyor means, one on each of said doors.

5. In the combination of claim 4 wherein each of said conveyor means slopes downwardly and inwardly towards the other, in said dispenser, when the doors are in their closed position.

6. In the combination of claim 1:

means mounting said back end for adjustable movement along said path.

7. In the combination of claim 1:

means for introducing an article into said dispenser,

through the front entrance thereof;

and means actuable to block introduction of an article into said dispenser, through said front entrance thereof; I

said means for actuating said door-moving means including means for actuating said blocking means.

8. In the combination of claim 1:

relatively low speed first conveyor means for moving articles from a first location relatively remote from said dispenser front entrance to a second location relatively close to said front entrance; relatively high speed second conveyor means, at said second location, having a pair of tracks straddling said first conveyor means;

means mounting said second conveyor means for pivota1 movement, about a horizontal axis, between a lower position in which both of said tracks are disposed below the first conveyor means and an upper position in which a substantial portion of each of said tracks is disposed above the first conveyor means;

means actuable to raise said second conveyor means from its lower to its upper position;

and means, responsive to the arrival of an article at said second location and to the closing of said door means of the dispenser, for actuating said raising means.

9. In the combination of claim 8:

means for preventing movement of another article to said first location when the second conveyor means is in its upper position.

10. In the combination of claim 8 wherein:

said means actuable to raise the second conveyor means also includes means actuable to lower the second conveyor means;

said combination including means, responsive to the departure of an article from said second location into said dispenser, for actuating said lowering means.

11. Apparatus for stacking articles on a pallet, said apparatus comprising:

a dispenser;

means for supporting a pallet in a horizontal disposition with a peripheral portion of the pallet directly beneath said dispenser;

means for moving said articles in a downstream direction into said dispenser, one article at a time;

said dispenser including means defining a first articlereceiving location in said dispenser;

said dispenser including means defining a second articlereceiving location in aligned, lapping relation relative to said first location;

the downstream end of said first location being upstream of the downstream end of the second location and downstream of the upstream end of the second location;

said dispenser including means for dropping an article received therein in a horizontal disposition and along a vertical path extending straight down from the location of the article in the dispenser;

and means for rotating the pallet-supporting means ninety degrees after the dropping of an article from said dispenser;

said dispenser including means for stopping alternate groups of four articles, one article at a time, alternately at said first and second locations.

12. A method for loading articles on a four-sided pallet, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a four-sided pallet in a position to-be-loaded;

moving said articles to-be-loaded in a downstream direction;

stopping odd numbered groups of four moving articles, one article at a time, at a first location disposed directly above a peripheral portion of said pallet;

stopping even numbered groups of four moving articles, one article at a time, at a second location disposed directly above a peripheral portion of the pallet and in aligned, lapping relation to said first location;

said first location having a downstream end disposed upstream of the downstream end of the second location and downstream of the upstream end of the second location;

dropping each article, directly downwardly from the location at which it has been stopped, onto said pallet before stopping the following article;

rotating said pallet one-quarter turn after the dropping of each article;

and lowering said pallet a predetermined distance after the dropping of a group of four articles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 932,571 8/1909 Platter. 2,675,928 4/1954 Slater 214-6 2,977,002 3/1961 Asp 2146 3,126,105 3/1964 Marguet 2146 FOREIGN PATENTS 564,698 4/1958 Belgium.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

I. E. OLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

11. APPARATUS FOR STACKING ARTICLES ON A PALLET, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A DISPENSER; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PALLET IN A HORIZONTAL DISPOSITION WITH A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE PALLET DIRECTLY BENEATH SAID DISPENSER; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ARTICLES IN A DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION INTO SAID DISPENSER, ONE ARTICLE AT A TIME; SAID DISPENSER INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A FIRST ARTICLERECEIVING LOCATION IN SAID DISPENSER; SAID DISPENSER INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A SECOND ARTICLERECEIVING LOCATION IN ALIGNED, LAPPING RELATION RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST LOCATION; 